Sony Computer Entertainment Europe must be in its happy place right now. Following the launch of the new 40 GB PS3 Lite, PS3 sales in the U.K. are up by 178%.

There is no breakdown of the figures yet, and it is still in the early going; however, a 178% jump is nearly a tripling of sales. Without a breakdown of the numbers, it’s impossible to tell whether this represents a rush to grab the newly price-reduced 60 GB models, with backwards compatibility, or an appetite for the newer 40 GB model.